A New Evil
by Nia-B-Gum
Summary: Maia Deva Eirian is a plain girl, with a simple life. She lives happily in a care home and she has friends that she loves. At 15, she is content with her life. What she doesn't know is that she's different. And the summer before her 16th birthday, Maia's life dramatically changes.
1. Prologue

The young boy strides forward, the crunch of the gravel under his feet sounding deafening as it pierces the once silent night. Winter chills the air, frost covering every possible surface, not a star to be seen in the dark sky. The moon watches over the Earth, alone in the vast blackness of the seemingly protective and warm cover that is the sky. The moon watches the actions of the young boy, both alone and both abandoned.

As the boy walks through the park, he lets out a shaky breath from the cold. Winter changes the warmth of his breath into a cool mist, visible in the air. As the young boy breathes out again, he stares at the mist and almost chuckles from what he believes is irony. Winter has changed his warm breath into coldness, just like certain events changed him from human into ice.

The park he's walking through seems ominous, not happy and playful like it had been just a few months ago. Could a place really change so much, its atmosphere almost rotting… just because the seasons have changed?

Or is it just the young boy's presence that sours the area? Is it because of what he is about to do?

A harsh wind blows through the secluded area as the boy nears his destination. The rusty chains of the swings whine and protest as the swing moves, the metal having compressed due to the cold air. There are no leaves to rustle left on the tree branches, no grass on the ground, no flowers blooming. Everything has died with the arrival of winter. Everything is left bare.

The boy thinks back to the summer, when he used to come to the park and sit on a bench and watch the children playing. At such a young age, the tender age of 13, the idea of playing so happily – so freely – baffled him. How could those children play like there is nothing wrong with the world? Like everything is good?

Happiness seems to elude the boy; even peace refuses to be his companion.

The gate of the park swings open as the boy approaches it, pushed by the wind – to him it seems like nature is telling him that he is doing the right thing. Or maybe he's just deluding himself. Whatever it may be, the boy knows that should he carry out his plan, there'll be no turning back.

He hesitates at the gate of the park, not walking through it. He's done many bad things, but passing through the gate would be prelude to the worst. He won't be surprised if in the future, he'll end up being hunted; after all, in order to do this, he'll need to embrace the darkness within himself - the darkness that has been there since birth and the darkness that will never go away.

No doubt in his mind is that should he choose to embrace the darkness, the number of his evil deeds would tally up. That's right…the domino effect.

He glances up at the row of houses across the street from the spot he was standing. As he stares at the house in front of him (his destination just to the left, tempting him in his peripheral vision), he debates with himself. It's almost like the angel and devil hovering above him are fighting.

But he knows which one will win. With a slight nod, he passes through the gate.

As he does so, he feels a weight rise off his chest… by stepping through the gate he has fully stepped over to the side he belongs. It was never his destiny to be a _good _person; he knows that, he always had. And now he finally feels at home.

With newfound confidence, the boy walks to the house he planned to break into. A sneer falls onto his face as the cold no longer bothers him, and he quickens his pace as he reaches the house. He steps up to the front door of the quaint abode, and twists the door handle.

The door swings open with no trouble and the boy snorts. He knew that these people were gullible and believed nothing bad could happen in such a small and nice area, but he didn't think they were _that _idiotic. But no matter, the sheer stupidity will help him do what he needs to without bringing too much attention to himself.

He steps into the house and stalks up the stairs.

He already has the floor plan memorised and knows what order he'll be visiting the rooms. Standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes dart back and forth as they adjust to the dim light of the corridor lights. His eyes pass over some doors; bathroom, linen cupboard, not that one just yet, ah… that's the one he wants.

He walks over to the door, and slides it open with ease, no sound being emitted from the action. It seems to the boy that luck is on his side.

Padding into the room, the carpet cushioning the sound of his foot falls, he makes his way over to the foot of the bed of a young couple. On the bedside table lies an unlit lamp, a novel by Nicholas Sparks, and a picture frame of the couple standing outside a church. The male looks dashing in a black tuxedo, the female in his arms in a bridal carry, which is fitting enough to match her pure white wedding dress – veil and all. Married only for little over a year, the couple are unaware of what is to happen to them in mere seconds.

The boy knows that it is the husband that is a light sleeper, the wife a heavy one…so that will be the order his task is carried out in. He moves to the husband's side of the bed, the male's limbs spread out and his pillow discarded and fallen onto the floor.

The boy picks the pillow up and holds it above the husband's head, ready to be held onto his face. As the pillow is held hovering with the boy's left hand, his right hand draws a dagger from its crudely made leather sheath. He lifts it up to look at, the silver of the elegant weapon glinting in the moonlight that is streaming through the window.

Just as the boy moves the dagger to the male's throat, said male's eyes flash open. Alarmed at the sight in front of him, he starts to panic. Just as he is about to shout to awaken his wife, the young boy muffles the sound of the male's cry with his pillow, slitting his throat in the same motion. The man arms and legs stops flailing around and disturbing gargling sounds come from his mouth.

The boy looks up from the now dead body to the sound of a gasp. The wife has woken up (probably alerted by the male's movements), and she stares down at her husband's unmoving body in horror. As she screams in fear, the boy throws the dagger at her neck, the weapon piercing through her trachea and out of the back of her neck.

Her body falls from its seated position and onto the floor. The sound of a child's cry fills the silent household, and the boy smiles. Pulling the dagger from the female's neck, he stalks out of the room and into the nursery of the child – the room he had skipped out on earlier.

There he is met with the sight of a bawling baby girl, just a couple months old and squirming in her crib. Her eyes are squeezed shut and her cheeks are already red from the strain of crying. He walks over to her and picks her up, rocking her softly back and forth to soothe her.

Eventually, the child's harsh cries quieten to a soft whimper and she opens her eyes to gaze up at the one who comforts her. The boy smiles as he looks into her stormy grey eyes, and he sets her back down in her cot.

"Now," he says to her softly, "I have something for you". He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny vial that contains a smoky black liquid. Getting out the baby's bottle he had already prepared for the occasion, he twists off the lid and adds the liquid to the sweet milk inside the bottle.

Shaking it to mix it, he picks the baby girl back up and into his arms, he begins to feed her. As she guzzles the mixture of milk and black liquid, she remains unaware how this little bit of 'food' will change the course of her life.

She remains unaware that her mother and father lay dead in the next room, their blood seeping out of their lifeless bodies and staining the carpet with a river of red.

She remains unaware that she will be found a day later, unfed and unchanged when the social worker comes over to visit, the police on their way to investigate the murder of two people.

She remains unaware about what exactly the boy whose finger she is gripping tightly plans to do with her.

As she guzzles the concoction, the boys smiles down at her and coos, "that's it sweetheart, drink up".


	2. Chapter 1

Maia tossed and turned in her sleep, her mousy brown hair matted and clinging to her forehead from the damp stickiness of her sweat. The duvet that originally resided on the single wooden bed lay discarded on the floor by the bed, the heat and humidity of the summer night making it impossible to sleep under its irritating weight. Maia whimpered in her sleep, the diminishing light of the moon washing over her as dawn approached, her obvious discomfort making evident that her mind was in a dark place during the only time she never felt sanctuary, during the time most people felt at peace.

The sun rose over the city scape, the orange orb propelling up from out of the ground at a seemingly alarming speed, and Maia jolted up out of her dreams with it. Disorientated, as she often was at those early hours of the day she always seemed to be up to witness, her bleary eyes focused on the rising sun. She liked to stare in awe at the ball of burning gas before its gaze became too overwhelming for her cloudy blue eyes. Displaying a full set of impressively white teeth as she yawned, Maia rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, scratching her head to relieve from the pressure of the ponytail it had been in, and smacked her dry lips together a few times. Her night terrors were already dissolving back into the deepest recesses of her memory, so all she was left with – as she often was in the mornings – was a chilled feeling in her body.

She rolled out of bed, her feet padding against the worn-out nylon carpet of muddy red, clothes and toiletries in hand, as she made her way to the communal bathroom. Maia looked at the clock and, despite her lack of REM sleep and her fatigue, thanked her lucky stars that she had access to the bathroom before the 'rush hour' with the other girls. She despised having to wait hours for the shower only to have to wash in freezing water, and having to wait to brush her teeth because the other girls were too busy trying to 'get the exact right flick' on their eyeliner. She adjusted the temperature of the shower while she yawned again, before undressing and stepping under the spray of lukewarm water.

Maia wished she could get a decent night's sleep, fearing she was fast becoming an insomniac. Her friends always commented that the bloody bags under her eyes were continuously getting darker, and it was irritating for Maia to have to see them when she looked in the mirror every morning. It was probably because of those stupid dark circles that people thought she was a Goth! She rinsed her lemon scented shampoo out of her hair, shivering again as she tried to recall what her dream had been about. Any time she attempted to remember her dreams, she'd be filled with a sense of foreboding that would leave her mentally retreating as fast as she could. She rubbed her orange scented shower gel over her body, rubbing the goose-bumps that had arisen from her arms.

Maia stepped out of the shower and dried herself off, before adding her orange body lotion, before journeying back to her room. Her friends always said she smelt _citrusy,_ but in all honesty, it was a refreshing scent that Maia loved. It made her feel better about herself.

Excitement filled her as she began to get ready for her day out. The baby of her group of friends – Harold – was finally turning fifteen, being one of the youngest in their year group with a birth month of August. Maia herself was one of the eldest, and had an unfortunate birthday, falling on Halloween. She was lucky that the British didn't celebrate Halloween as enthusiastically as they seemed to do in America, but it was still a drag to be teased by the other kids in the home. She hated it at times. She couldn't help when she was born. Her name caused quite a bit of grief too. Maia Deva Eirian. Her name was weirdly surreal, and along with her birthday, Maia was often accused of being either a witch or one of the fae. Maia had suspicions that her parents had been Irish, but she didn't really have the opportunity to ask…

She walked back to her room, and stood in front of the mirror to appraise herself. Her combat trousers were too long for her, and had to be rolled up to reveal her muddy and dishevelled old converses (that she'd had to save up for months to buy). Maia had decided to wear her Smosh graffiti t-shirt and bunched her naturally tightly curled brown hair up into a pony tail at the crown of her head. No hiding the paleness of her skin, or her freckles, but she would just deal with it. Make-up was not an option, it was simply too irritating for Maia.

As it was only half seven, Maia took a little time to read the latest Naruto chapter, throwing a Pikachu plushie across the room out of anger as Pein fought Kakashi, and watched one episode of Supernatural. Many people accused her of being a 'geek' and she couldn't really be bothered to argue. It was futile to attempt defence, seeing as she would be considered _geeky _in the society she lived in: a girl who liked to watch sci-fi, fantasy and anime; a girl who liked to read books and manga rather than socialise; a girl who had numerous tumblr blogs dedicated to her numerous fandoms, who saved up to buy Doctor Who merchandise, and filled her room with various cuddly toys from her favourite anime. Yeah. She wuld technically be constituted as a geek in this day and age.

Maia skipped down the stairs into the dining room, where the younger children were already making a ruckus as they ran around the lower floor, intent on causing pure chaos. Grabbing a bowl of Shreddies as she manoeuvred around the screaming chidren, she sat down next to a young blonde girl with adorable pigtails and a girly pink dress with daisy motif, who was trying in vain to eat her pancakes. "Here Abi, let me help you" Maia offered, reaching over to slice up the pancakes into smaller and more accessible pieces, making sure to coat each piece in some Nutella and some golden syrup as she did so. That's how it was nicest.

Abigail beamed at Maia, giving her a toothy grin that was missing a few teeth. "Tanks Maimai!" she lisped. She began happily tucking into her breakfast as Maia crunched on her own. She would've loved to have eaten pancakes that day too, never one to give up eating something sweet due to her sweet tooth, but didn't want to ruin her appetite before Harold's birthday lunch.

After finishing her rather bland breakfast, and helping herself to a nice beverage of peppermint green tea, Maia hummed as she walked to the door, patting her pockets to make sure she had her phone, some money and the house keys. She walked away from Sunny Days care home, staring up at the rare blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Leaving the house was like having a weight lifted off her shoulders; Maia loved the younger children who seemed to gravitate towards her naturally, but the ones of her own age and older were draining. This day out would be the refreshment she needed during the long summer holiday before she started Year 11 in school.

Maia glanced around at the buildings around her. Living in one of the smaller and quieter pockets of London (the care home situated in Merrycomb Ave. in Stamford Hill) was something she was always thankful for – quiet enough to be calming yet busy enough to be interesting. She loved to observe, especially the nature that surrounded her. It was beautiful to her to watch the changing seasons, and her observations always aroused questions about insignificant things within her.

As she walked past the local children's park, an uneasy feeling contaminated her as she felt the hair on her arms stand on end. The air around her seemed polluted with unseen tension, and Maia's eyes shifted around, unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched. Whenever she was alone, she always had the feeling that she was being watched. But, once again, she didn't see anyone.

Except, this time she did. As she looked around, her eyes focused on a tall figure standing in a sunny spot in the middle of the park. Clear as day, with children running around him as if he wasn't even there, stood a tall man dressed all in black. On such a sunny day, he stood out like a sore thumb, yet no one gave him a second glance. Most people dressed like him would gain wary looks, but no parent or child within the park batted their eye at this stranger standing in the middle of a child's park. From a distance, Maia assumed that he would have to be at least six feet tall, an intimidating height compared to her dwarfish five feet two inches. But the black clothes and height wasn't what made Maia blanch, but the fact that his hood hidden gaze seemed to be angled in her direction.

She kept an eye on him as she walked, hurrying her pace. His head moved to follow her movement, confirming her growing suspicion that he was watching her. Fear tormented Maia, as her heart seemed to be going under cardiac arrest, her breathing feeling laboured as she tried not to be overcome with panic. She felt the overwhelming need to run but her brain told her she may be overreacting. What could he do on a sunny day with so many people watching? She'd be safe if she stayed in a populated area.

Yet, she couldn't help but ask the question, as illogical as it was, was why wasn't anyone paying attention to him? It was as if he was invisible… and oh God, he was still watching her! She clenched her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palm as she tried to calm herself. Fight or flight? She couldn't decide.

Her indecision wasted time, and the stranger turned his body in her direction. She froze as if stuck in car headlights as the man in black took a step in her direction. Though he was still very far from her position, Maia let out a small shriek of fear and instinctively stepped back onto the road behind her, trying to reaffirm the distance between herself and the prospective danger she faced.

And that's when she heard the squeal of the tires.


	3. Chapter 2

Maia whipped her head to the left, the screeching of the tires on asphalt startling her attention away from the dark stranger, and she turned to watch the horror of her oncoming demise. Much like in the movies she was always watching, time seemed to slow to a crawl, and the car which had no chance of not hitting her at that point barrelled towards her. She stood, her legs frozen, bringing her arms up to cradle her head in a futile attempt to protect herself, her natural instinct for survival kicking in. She let out a sharp scream as she turned her body away from where the impact would happen.

_BAM! _

Eyes tightly closed with light tears collected on the corners of her eyes and on her lash line, Maia awaited the inevitable pain to hit her, yet felt nothing. Perhaps she was paralysed? Half hoping for this as an escape from pain, half fearing it as she wouldn't want to be unable to move and become more defenceless than she already was, Maia attempted to move her finger. It twitched in reaction to the message from her brain, and she almost sighed in relief even as her eyebrows furrowed with confusions. She couldn't understand why she wasn't feeling pain.

She slowly lifted her head, lowering her arms from their defensive positions as she heard a woman's shrill scream of shock. The driver appeared unharmed; his car had weirdly swerved around her by skidding onto the pavement and ending up behind her with the bonnet of the car facing her. Maia could see the man's astounded face staring back at her, and he slowly stepped out of his car, stumbling with lack of complete controls over his motor skills due to the shock. He made his way to Maia, asking "Are you okay little girl?"

Maia sank to the pavement as the adrenaline that had rushed through her body departed, leaving her sapped of energy. She'd survived a car accident without any bodily harm, though the same probably couldn't be said for her mental state. The trauma would most likely kick in later in the day, but currently all she could feel was surprise at her continued breathing. She looked up at the driver, asking in a bewildered tone "how did you swerve like that? I thought for sure you would hit me…"

At this the man frowned. He looked back at the position of his car and let out a huff of breath, thinking over his answer. "Well, I'm not too sure myself. My car simply swerved like that. I'm not really sure myself, but I'm sure it wasn't me, I don't think I even had my hands on the wheel at that point," he explained. Maia looked up at him, bemused. What on earth did he mean? He must've reacted instinctively to try and avoid her. He turned back towards her with a disapproving look, causing her to bristle defensively. "What were you thinking, stepping out onto a road like that?" the man demanded, accusing in his tone.

Maia's eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at him, not liking the insinuation that she was stupid enough to step out onto a road and try to get herself killed purposefully. She wasn't an idiot. "I didn't mean to!" she defended, "I was scared because that man was coming after me!" she explained, pointing at the park as she looked at the scared driver. He followed her finger, and then looked back questioningly at her, so Maia turned to see herself. But the dark stranger was no longer there. Her eyes roamed over the area frantically, worried that the man had used this opportunity to close the distance between them. Yet she still couldn't find him.

"I… I… He was right there! I don't know what happened" Maia stammered. It was like he'd disappeared into thin air.

After having ditched the driver before an ambulance arrived, assuring him that she was absolutely fine, and that she didn't need medical attention, Maia walked briskly to the Patisserie she was meeting her friends in. She was not going to miss one of her closest friend's birthdays just because of something like this, especially when she didn't actually sustain any damage. No way. She walked up to the cute shop. She and her group loved the Patisserie, as it had a professional yet homely feel to it, making all customers feel welcome, regardless of age and wallet-size – plus it had apple pie with ice cream that was to die for.

Pushing the door open, the bell hanging over the door chimed to announce her arrival. Maia scanned the shop, finding that her friends had bagged the best table in the shop. It was right next to the large window that scaled an entire wall, and overlooked a field of grass that was often used for picnics. Maia loved that field, and the group of trees that were scattered beyond it, as even at the age of fifteen, she and her friends would adventure and act like the children they mentally were.

She associated that field with goodness. Memories of her childhood years, in which her primary school would take them out for a 'trip' to have a picnic in the lush green grass. She could rememeber the high-pitched giggling of children as they played their games, playing hide and seek amongst those huge Oak trees, with strawberry juice staining their fingers and clothes. Sitting out late with her friends to just sit and chat, maintaining the close bond they had formed from pre-teen years. The entire field simply had a sunny, glossy filter over it in her memories.

She walked up to the table, with a general greeting, before turning to the birthday boy. "Happy birthday Harold!" she exclaimed, giving his tall gangly form a brief hug.

"Where were you all this time? You were so late, we thought the Pete the Prick had grounded you again! Everyone's already given me the gifts" Harold teasingly nudged Maia as she took a seat next to him. She and the rest (Rachel, Kate, Maryam, John, Ali, Seth, Rayhan, Ryan and Dill) had paid for tickets for Harold to attend the Comic Convention that would be held in Los Angeles later that year - they managed to pay for the hotel and tickets to the convention, and Harold's parents had agreed to pay for the plane tickets. All of them had saved up for the entire year, and it was clearly worth it from the bright smile on her friends face. She was blessed to have such amazing friends, she wouldn't want to give it up for the world.

They all mucked about, singing happy birthday as the cake was bought out, smushing Harold's face in the cake after the ceremonial blowing out of the candles, and generally just doing what they did best. Act like children. As Maia was wiping some icing from her finger onto Seth's face, movement outside the window caught her eye in her peripheral vision.

Pausing, she stared towards the shadows in the trees, the uneasy feeling from earlier that day overcoming her again. Her friends froze too, realizing that something was wrong. "What's happening Maia, why are you staring out of the window?" Seth asked.

Maia, face paler than usual, let out a shaky breath. She had confided in her friends that she often felt that she was being watched, and she had to hold back tears as she recalled to them what had happened earlier that day. Today had been the first day she had seen her watcher, so she was exceptionally creeped out. Maia didn't think he had simply disappeared with the car crash, and now she worried that he had followed her to the Patisserie.

She could hear her friends laboured breathing, they too worrying. They had always trusted Maia's instincts, as she was exceptionally intuitive, and not one to lie or seek attention.

Maia let out a gasp, shaking hands coming up to cover her mouth as she noticed the dark stranger cleverly hidden in the shadows of one of the trees. Her beautiful field began to look sinister, the usually vibrant green grass taking on a blackish surreal quality. The frequent summer breeze had stilled, and the liveliness of the vegetation seemed to have been quelled, the dark stranger's aura seeping into her beloved memories and tarnishing them. She didn't even take notice of the crash of a glass somewhere else in the shop, or the mumbling apologies of a customer being reassured by a waiter. The atmosphere, even with his distance suffocated Maia, and from glancing at her friends, she confirmed earlier notion. This man could only be seen by her for some reason.

Stifling a whimper, Maia braced herself against the table in front of her. Her entire body was screaming at her to run, to take flight, and this time she wouldn't waste time with indecisiveness. Abruptly standing, she whirled around, readying herself for a quick dash back to the care home.

With her jaunty movements, Maia bumped into the waiter who had been carrying the glass shards on his tray, and he fell with the dangerous parts. Shocked, Maia reached out to grab him before he would fall onto the shards, and felt heat in her palms. Shaking her arms quickly in discomfort, her eyes widened as the glass shards flew together to reform into the milkshake glass it had previously been, only to shatter again as it met with the floor. The new re-shattering meant that the waiter did not fall upon the sharp objects, saving him from injury, but he looked at the differently shaped shards of glass with confusion.

Maia turned back to face her friends, who were looking at her with wide eyes. They too had seen what had happened to the glass, and it was clear they didn't know what to think of it.

Staring at her palms, Maia felt disgust coil up inside of her. "What's happening to me?"


	4. Chapter 3

Her body started to shake, the shock of all the events in the day finally grabbing hold of her. Her breathing became ragged as she started to hyperventilate, the fear of what was happening to her coursed through her veins. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes; what else was she supposed to do? Her life was becoming muddled, and she wasn't strong enough to face the changes. It was only logical for her to break down. Yet, as Maia stood in the middle of the shop with her friends staring at her in confusion and the waiter cleaning up the broken glass with apologies, logic wasn't helping her at all.

Her friends snapped out of their daze, and Seth rushed up to where Maia was trembling. Holding on to her shaking shoulders, he guided her out of the shop, her other friends following since the party was pre-paid for. Usually in a situation where Maia needed to be calmed and comforted, they would head immediately for their field – but this time they had to make do with the small side street next to the shop instead. Seth directed her while she stumbled along with him on her unsteady feet, still staring down at her hands as if she expected them to start glowing, still trying to breathe steadily.

She didn't notice him halt until she bumped into him, and staggered back, bringing a hand up to rub her abused nose. His back was harder than she had expected. Maia looked up to see what had stopped her friends, and almost blurted out laughing at the sight in front of her. There was a group of elderly people in fancy dress; all were dressed as if they were late for a Lord of the Rings convention. They donned Gandalf-like costumes, yet theirs was smoother and less rugged: pointy hats, cloaks… the lot. Her friends behind her also stopped, and their shock at the Maia related events were momentarily forgotten as they stared at the amusing sight in front of them. What made it even funnier were the solemn and serious expressions upon the faces of the people in front of them.

A man stepped out in front of them, younger than some of those around him, surprising Maia. Why was a young man like him hanging around with a bunch of old people in fancy dress? Her brows furrowed, taking in the fact that this man was also wearing costume, and that his gaze was directed at her. With decorum she thought would be appropriate for the Royal family, the man stood poised in front of her, took pout an old looking scroll, and began to speak.

"We have received intelligence that you performed the _Reparo _charm at forty-three minutes past four this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of no less than ten Muggles. Not only this, but you appear to be un-listed on the _Ministry of Magic: Under-aged Wizard and Witch Register. _Due to the severity of this misconduct, we regret to inform you, that your presence is required at a hearing at the Ministry of Magic at nine a.m. on August fifth, three days following today. As you are unregistered, we must also escort you to a holding facility until said date, as it is unclear what your motives are. So if you would please accordingly tell us your identification details, and follow us, that would be much appreciated."

They all looked at Maia expectantly, as she and her friends stared at them in a bemused silence. It was the kind of silence that was followed by crickets chirping comically in her shows.

Maia stared back at them, confused. "Umm, are you being serious right now?" she asked, confused. Yet a part of her mind was reeling: magic. Logic was telling her that the people in front of her were playing a prank on the 'gullible' teenagers that were assembled in her group, but evidence was defying that logic. Her mind kept flashing back to the disappearance of the hooded man, the car swerving away from her despite its crash course being towards her, and then the glass being fixed before smashing again. What was it that guy had said she used… the _Reparo _charm? It may have just been Maia clutching at straws that would prove that she wasn't a freak or going crazy, but 'reparo' sounded a lot like 'repair' to her. Maybe she had used magic to fix that glass.

The man who had read from the scroll looked at her, and replied "I'm being quite serious right now. This is an official warning for your breach under section 17 of the _International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy._ Taking account of the fact that you look to be at least 14, and you are not being educated at a school facilitated for magical, you must be escorted to a safe holding facility under suspicion of being part of the Rebellion".

Seth stepped forward at this, pushing Maia further behind his tall form as a way of protection. Her other friends also moved forward, showing a united front against these people who seemed to be serious about taking Maia with them. "You're not taking her anywhere" Seth said gravely, the cheerfulness from earlier that afternoon escaping them all.

The man in front of them sighed, and began reaching into his cloak. Maia's eyes widened, terror claiming her. What if they had weapons?! She couldn't let her friends get hurt because of her. Pushing Seth to the side, she turned to face her friends, slowly walking backwards – moving towards the group behind her who were to take her with them. Maia could never claim that she was brave or strong, but she wasn't about to let her friends get into trouble because of her, especially when they could potentially get hurt.

All of her friends watched her movement with shock and fear etched on their faces. Harold was the first to begin moving forward, anger claiming his childish faced. "Maia", he all but growled. "What are you doing?! This is dangerous! Get back here!" He and the others began walking forward too. But Maia couldn't have them following. That would make everything pointless.

Tears dripping down her face (a common occurrence for that gruesome day), she raised her hands up in front of her, wanting them to stop. "Please Harold. It's your birthday today" she sobbed. "I don't want you guys to get hurt because of me. Please guys" she cried, yet they continued to move forward. Her heart clenched in pain and love for them. They must have realised she was a freak by now: her weird intuition, the nightmare's they witnessed during sleepovers, and now the glass thing and these people coming to take her away. Yet they still tried to help her. She couldn't let them be hurt; she couldn't let them follow her. "Stop!" she wept, the palms of her hands heating up again. Her friends froze in their positions, their limbs seeming to lock into place, their eyes darting about in panic.

Maia bit her fist, in an attempt to stifle an upcoming sob. She had frozen them, and she didn't know how or why. Terror rose up in her throat, like bile, as she watched her friends try to move. She then realised that it wasn't just terror rising in her throat, but actual vomit, everything that had happened finally overwhelming her bodily functions. She ran to the side of the small street, and choked up all the food and cake she had eaten earlier in the day. The acrid stench of the puke had her mind spinning, and the disgusting taste made her feel even worse.

She gasped as she felt someone clutch her elbow. Looking up, she saw the man who had read the scroll holding on to her, and also holding a bottle of water out to her. Taking it from him, she pried open the lid, and swished some of the water around her mouth before spitting it out in the same place as her vomit. She then gulped down half the bottle, aware that though the man had obviously pitied her and given her water, his hold on her elbow was as strong as before. He wasn't going to let her go, as if escaping was Maia's priority.

"As you have now also used the _Petrificus Totalus _charm on ten muggles, it is imperative you be taken to a holding cell. We shall remove the charm from them once we have reached a safe distance to which they won't be able to follow us". The man's speech was brisk, and he pulled Maia along quickly, indicating that they were taking too long.

The rest of the group also followed, and they walked along the street, Maia continuously glancing back to her friends. They were still frozen. She keened and sobbed; she was such a freak that she had frozen her friends. As they turned the corner, she saw her friends collapse to the floor, unfrozen by (Maia guessed) one of the elderly around her.

Even in her sadness, she was confused. The group she was with wasn't a sufficient distance away from her friends – they could still follow. That was, if they still wanted to.

She was about to point out this revelation to the man holding her, as she didn't want her friends to catch up to them, and get hurt. But as she opened her mouth, she heard a crack. She was sucked into what she guessed felt like a black hole, her entire body and being twisted and reshaped through the wormhole. She dropped onto her feet, toppling to the ground as she emptied her stomach of the little content left in it for the second time that day.


	5. Chapter 4

With her stomach truly empty, Maia finally looked up to observe her surroundings. She was outside an entry to the women's bathroom, in one of the posher yet empty looking streets of London (Marleybough St. according to a sign that caught her eye as she looked around).

There was no doubt in her mind now that there was such a thing as magic. She'd bloody frozen her friends, and now she'd also taken some sort of portal to another place in London entirely different from her home borough. It scared Maia, this complete defying of logic, yet also comforted her. She hoped to get answers now – she'd always felt different from her peers, maybe now she'd find out why.

Another water bottle appeared by Maia's head, where she was still kneeling on the ground next to her up-chuck. She took it willingly, and gave a nod of thanks to the-man-who-read-from-the-scroll for his kindness (or maybe it was obligation). Once she had cleared her mouth and drank the bottle dry, she was hoisted to her feet by a woman wearing robes that looked to be fifty-odd years old.

The men and women separated, and Maia was dragged – though not harshly – into the female bathroom, accompanied by the two women of the group.

"I'll go first Eenid, then send the girl and you follow. Can't have her apparating away can we?" The woman in dusty dark blue robes, whose pointy hat was crooked at the very top, gave Maia a stern look before stepping into the toilet cubicle in front of them. Maia's mind was spinning with confusion, yet she kept quiet, instinctively knowing that she shouldn't try to speak out of turn; it was as if someone had read her rights to her, "you have the right to remain silent".

She was broken out of her thoughts with the sound of the toilet flushing, and looked at the door expectantly for the woman to come out. Instead, Eenid pushed herself and Maia into the cubicle, where the other woman had disappeared. At that point, Maia was too overwhelmed and to be frank, tired, to be shocked. That didn't stop her from protesting though, when Eenid shoved her quite roughly towards the toilet.

"I-what?" she mumbled, looking back at the purple-robed woman behind her, her reactions slow.

Eenid glared at her, before pointing at the toilet bowl in front of Maia. "Step into the toilet, and flush. Be quick about it girly, we haven't got all day" the woman commanded.

Maia grimaced as she looked into the bowl. While it appeared clean, she knew from her science lessons that it was probably teeming with bacteria like E. coli, and that made her hesitant to step in. But with dusty-Eenid glaring a hole into her back, Maia stepped into the bowl with her breath held. She'd always found that curious, how a human when faced with something dangerous, would hold their breath – maybe it was biological; with the holding of the breath of course, the CO2 levels would rise within the blood stream, thus leading to more respiration, which would increase the heart rate and energy productions. Perhaps her holding her breath was an instinctual fight or flight reaction… or maybe she was just overthinking again. Maia reached up, and with a tug of the chain, flushed the toilet.

And herself it seemed.

With her body twirling to a stop, the next thing she knew, Maia had appeared in a huge fireplace. Emerald green fire surrounded her body, yet gave off no heat, feeling more like wind so that Maia felt as if she was actually caught in the middle of a tiny tornado. She was tugged out of the fireplace by blue-robed-woman, where she was replaced by an appearing Eenid.

This was observed by a small portion of her brain, viewing all of this in her peripheral vision. The rest of her brain gawped at the building she was in, her eyes comically wide. The blue of her eyes had lost the dusty glaze she had been sporting the whole day, adrenaline seeming to sharpen the blue to a cut glass, crystal-blue blue.

She was in the most extravagant building she had ever seen in her life. The walls reached unprecedented heights, made of beautiful green bricks that were stacked in such a disorderly way, it seemed impossible to stay upright yet did so anyway. The impressive walls were broken in the continuity every so often by a balcony, or a window, and even a few umbrella hooks and pictures (much to Maia's disbelief). The floor she stood on was marbled black, the specks within the marble contrasting strikingly with the darkness of the surrounding colours. Both the walls and the floor shined and reflected each other, as if scrubbed meticulously. In the centre of the room she stood in was a white stone fountain, the statue of a dragon roaring in the centre, breathed not fire but a gush of water. If Maia had been with her friends, she would have laughed and commented on the irony.

With that thought though, she was startled out of her observations as she remembered her situation. She might never even see her friends again.

Maia realised that she had been walking, trailing along with the group of six or seven people around her. They were probably escorting her to wherever she would have to stay for a period of three days until her 'hearing'. Three whole days. She had no idea what she'd do in that time, or what would follow the hearing. And what about back at the care home? She didn't know what her friends would tell Pete, but she doubted he would really care too much about her disappearance until the night of day two. Maia hoped sincerely that her friends wouldn't be implemented in any way for her disappearance, seeing as they were the last to be seen with her.

With this thought at the forefront of her mind, and her worry knowing at her, she blurted out the one question she couldn't wait to ask: "are my friends going to get in trouble for my disappearance?" One of the older men glanced sideways at her, not turning his head in acknowledgement of her, but still answering her question.

"We'll confuse the people related to you until we figure out your motives." With that irritatingly simple answer, he stopped talking.

Maia bit her lip to prevent from asking more questions, and followed her captors quietly. As they walked under an archway, Maia noticed another one of the pictures that had been on the magnificent green walls. She hadn't been able to see them properly earlier, but she stared with renewed interest as she passed the poster.

A very handsome blond haired man, with slight stubble on his strong jaw, stared out of the poster. His grey eyes weren't at all like Maia's, more captivating than hers could ever be. The silvery eyes in the face were full of kindness and sagacity, laugh lines creasing as the picture moved to show the man's smile (Maia kept her face indifferent with difficulty as she witnessed real life gifs – the tumblr community would've had a fit). In the top right hand corner of the poster, in cursive writing, was the single letter 'M'.

The passed under the archway, and Maia tore her eyes away from the handsome man. The group around her led her into a lift, and all held on to the overhanging handles, as the button 'UW5' was pressed. The scissor door was closed, and Maia crashed into the left wall as the lift jolted to the right instead of down like it was meant to. A blush claimed Maia's face, as she held onto the bar on the wall, her height of 4'11" making her too short to reach the overhang, but now realising the importance of stability in one such lift.

The lift stopped moving right, jolted backwards for a minute, before dropping down. The entire journey had Maia clinging to the wall-bar as if her life depended on it.

Before long, the lift juddered to a halt in a circular foyer with 5 closed doors in in the wall. The place was filled with shining white lamps, making the area seem formal and cold, as well as very mental-institution-like. Stepping out of the lift, Maia followed her escorts to stand in front of the second door from the left.

"This is where you will spend the duration of your holding period. We are not placing you in a cell as you have not yet proven to do anything dangerous out of will. Your magical ability will be dampened while in this room". Scroll-reading-man pushed the door open, showing the room inside. Deciding not to focus on the "dampening" of Maia's _supposed _ability; she looked into the room before her. There was a bed with light blue coverings, one dark blue wall facing other white ones, no window, and even a white floor. A shelf with many books, where upon first glance, Maia didn't recognise any titles. A desk with blank pieces of what seemed to be tea-stained paper, and a feather and inkwell; these people seemed to be very old fashioned.

The room was standard, much better than Maia had expected, but seemed ever so lonely to Maia. With a sigh, she stepped into the room that would be her prison for three days.


	6. Chapter 5

Despite her sorrow at being confined in such a professional room away from all that she knew, Maia spent her time productively. Making use of the old-fashioned paper and the ink, she drew caricatures of her escorts (giving Eenid particularly large and bulbous eyes), and drew pictures of all her friends. She also read a few books from the vast array that were on the shelves. She'd been intrigued by the titles on the spines of the old leather bound novels, starting with _The Tales of Beedle and Bard _as it seemed to be a book of stories much like _Grimm's Fairy Tales. _It had been amusing to read, to say the least, so imaginative and different from the literature she was used to. After the introduction with the collection of 'fairy tales', she soon ventured onto reading some other books on the pristinely clean shelves, with enthusiasm that didn't escape her; and never would when it came to the written word.

Three days into her detention (the day before her hearing) Maia was lying on her front on the bed with her legs crossed at the calves in the air, with the informative book _Hogwarts: A History _in her hands. She was nearing the end of the large leather-bound, when the door to the room opened. Maia didn't look up, as the door hadn't opened in what seemed to her to be like forever, and so she wasn't expecting it to open until the next day. Even her food was delivered somehow without her ever seeing or noticing, though she knew the door was never opened to admit anyone.

She was bought out of her concentration with the sound of heeled shoes clicking on the tiled floor of the room. Surprise etched on her face, Maia looked up to see who her visitor was. It was of course a stranger, someone Maia had never before perceived, yet it was a beautiful stranger.

The woman who stood before Maia was exceptionally elegant. She wore a black pencil skirt, with a light blue blouse. The blouse was made of a light, airy material that emphasised the woman's slender physique, and made the woman seem ever the more feminine. Black kitten heels on her feet, a professional briefcase in hands; she looked the perfect business woman. Her hair was light brown, and up in a loose bun, showing that her hair let down would be in loose curls. No make-up or accessories adorned the woman, but looking at her, Maia doubted she needed any. What threw the young girl on the bed however was the small smile presented on the woman's face.

Maia got up. The woman moved towards her, and grasped Maia's hand firmly in her own, giving it a sturdy shake. "How do you do?" the woman asked her, her voice holding an authority and smartness.

"I-I'm okay ma'am" Maia stammered, blushing at her awkwardness. The woman just smiled at her all the more warmly.

"My name is Hermione Weasley. I work in the _Department of Magical Law Enforcement_. Everyone is entitled to representation, and your case interested me, so I will be your… lawyer of sorts for your trial", she said while sitting down at the foot of the bed and gesturing for Maia to join her. Stymied, Maia did, unable to believe that she was at least getting help in whatever she was going to have to face in a day's time.

"So, tell me what's happened to you of late. How did you get yourself here?" Hermione asked, seeming to assume her business face.

Maia answered her, all the feelings she had bottled out tumbling out of her mouth, as if Hermione was not a lawyer but a therapist. Maia relayed everything that had happened before she came to what she had gathered to be the _Ministry of Magic, _not keeping any secrets. She told the woman in front of her about the man she thought was following her, the car, the glass, and the freezing of her friends (tearing up at this part with devastating isolation from her loved ones consuming her). She even described the weird stuff that had been happening around her all her life. Hermione nodded through this, jotting things down in a notebook that seemed refreshingly modern compared to what Maia had adjusted to in the past two days.

"Can I ask where your parents are? Can you give me some background information about yourself?" Hermione asked the trembling girl in front of her, face stoic.

"I don't have any parents. I live in a care home, have done for most of my life – well, apart from when I was a baby, because at that age someone _has _to adopt and take care of you." Maia gave up the information willingly, hoping anything she might say may be something that could help Hermione defend her. "All I was told about my parents was the details of how they were murdered, and how I was left alone. The social worker who told me was really twisted though, he'd just wanted to shake me, wouldn't even tell me where I was originally from." At this, Hermione's face had scrunched up somewhat.

"If you don't mind, and I apologise for being tactless, please tell me the details of your parents deaths" Hermione asked, though the imperative was in her voice.

And so Maia did, telling the lawyer what she too had been told; a married couple were murdered in the dead of night, the man suffocated and the woman stabbed through the neck, with their new born daughter still sleeping in the other room. It didn't particularly sadden Maia to think about her parent's deaths since she didn't know them or any of her relatives, but she did wish she could have experienced a happy family life. She'd never felt comfortable around her friends family's, feeling as if they pitied her, and so she never let her guard down long enough to enjoy herself around them.

Weirdly, after the description of the death of Maia's parents, Hermione's eyes seemed to light up slightly. "I think I have an angle that I can defend you with Maia, if I'm remembering something correctly. I have to do some research, but I will try to get back to you tonight with some developments". Hermione smiled again at Maia, before packing away her notebook, and standing.

Maia stood too, and stiffened when Hermione pulled the young girl into a hug. "Everything will be okay Maia, you'll see," Hermione soothed, causing Maia to embrace the woman back.

As she watched her 'lawyer' leave, the spark of hope that had been nestled in Maia burned just a little brighter.

Maia woke from her slumber, the time on the clock next to her showing that it was elevel o'clock at night. Sitting up in her bed, she turned towards the opening door, where a disheveled but happy Hermione stood. The delicate woman had a huge book in her arms, and her hair was in disarray, yet she tottered foward towards Maia with a skip in her step.

Hermiony spoke in hushed tones, aware of the vulnerability a person felt as they came out of sleep. "I'm sorry I woke you, but I had to let you know. I've got a solid angle to defend you with Maia! Tomorrow, all you need to do at the hearing is tell them exactly what you told me today. Answer all the questions honestly and you'll be fine. I'll cover the rest for you. Now, I'll let you get back to sleep."

Maia nestled back into the warmth of her duvet, feeling slightly better about the battle she would face the next day.


	7. Chapter 6

Maia sat on the bed, dressed in the clothes she had been provided for the day. The beautiful yellow maxi dress was beautiful, very Grecian, and no doubt reflected the summer weather that Maia was being kept away from, also with a pair of strappy white sandals; it was also totally not the young girl's style. She'd put on the dress with incensed feelings, annoyed that they assumed that just because she was a girl, she would want to wear such an extravagant dress. Honestly, Maia tripped on the hem every other step, and wished she could be wearing shorts and a t-shirt and hanging out with her friends. Still, at least it wasn't a prison outfit.

_Hogwarts: A History _was back on the shelf; Maia had finished it while eating her breakfast. Frankly, she was astonished at what she read, and guessed that the beauty who had visited her the day before wasn't the same Hermione Granger that had fought in the Great War at Hogwarts. That Hermione was probably in a really high-standing position, and wouldn't waste her time with a case like Maia's. Though the curiosity consumed her, Maia knew she wouldn't ask the woman about it since it would be too 'fan-girly' – _the _Hermione Granger sounded amazing, someone Maia would have loved to meet.

The door opened to reveal her lawyer, this Hermione once again looking pristine. Today, she looked to be even more formal, her black pencil skirt this time matched with a white shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a neat pony-tail, no locks straying in front of her face. This was her battle armour.

"I chose the dress for you to wear, thought you'd like it better than the stuff they provided" Hermione said by way of greeting. Repressing a grimace, Maia nodded with a smile.

Hermione looked at the watch strapped to her arm, and then glanced at Maia. "Come on, let's go. There's only fifteen minutes until your trial, and it's better to turn up early to give a good impression". Maia cocked her head to the side, confused at Hermione's shifty glances. In the lawyer's eyes was sadness with origins that Maia feared to venture into. Between the earlier night and that moment, something must've happened.

Maia fell into step with the woman, walking with her (stumbling a few times over the damn dress), the silence between them causing heaviness in the air.

In an attempt to diffuse the tension, Maia blurted out the only thing her mind could recall, seeing as she had been thinking about it in the morning: "Are you _the _Hermione Granger? One of the Golden Trio?" A blush took over Maia's face as she laughed uneasily, scratching the back of her head in a typical manga attribute. "Haha, ignore me. You wouldn't be doing this sort of stuff if you were right, you'd be battling dragons or something… I'm being silly, haha" Maia fell silent.

Hermione glanced back at her, before smiling and replying, "actually, I am 'the' Hermione Granger". Maia felt her eyes widen as the inspiring figure in front of her continued. "As for the dragons, I don't much enjoy field work. That's more for my husband and his friends. I want to make the wizarding world a better place using my intellect."

Maia nodded, dumbfounded, and silence took over again. By now, the two had reached a waiting room, and took a seat on a wooden bench by the door.

"Now, you're being tried by the whole court. For a misdemeanour such as under-age magic, it's not proper protocol. However, as you're at an age where you could possibly be a threat, this is the result. Don't worry though; I've got a good feeling that you'll be going free." Hermione bought a folder out of her briefcase, and placed it on her lap.

Maia gulped, looking up at the clock on the wall. Five more minutes before she'd be called in.

A hand touched Maia's clenched fist that had been resting on her lap. Hermione took hold of the girl's trembling and clammy hands, and gave her a soothing smile.

"Don't worry, it'll all be fine. You may hear some harsh things in there, and I'm afraid you'll receive some unpleasant news from me too, but I'm confident that this will go well. Come September, you'll probably be enrolled into Hogwarts" Hermione resisted chuckling at Maia's astounded expressions, finding the young girl's innocence an admirable quality.

The old door creaked open, and they were called into what Maia knew would be a court room. She should have been panicking, yet she instead focused on Hermione's words prior. Even if she wasn't found to be evil or whatever, Maia would still be _magic. _Her weirdness would mean that she'd have to go to a school with other freaks like herself – though to them everything would be normal – and she wouldn't get to see her friends again. Even if she got holidays off, she doubted she'd be able to go back to the orphanage.

She took her seat in the middle of the room, surrounded by a bunch of wizards (as she now knew them to be) dressed in formal robes. Sat in front of her, was the blonde man from the poster, looking down at her with disinterest. The blonde man began to speak, to which a young brown haired wizard began to scribble on his 'parchment' with his 'quill' – Maia felt more confident that she knew the lingo now that she'd read a few books about the magical world.

"Enquiry hearing of the fifth of August, into offences committed under the _Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy_, and also the absence of perpetrators details on the _Ministry of Magic: Under-aged Wizard and Witch Register. _Interrogators: Draco Malfoy, Minister for Magic; Parvati Patil, Deputy-head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Percy Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; Court Scribe, Michael Creevey. Full court session, commenced" He banged the gravel, and looked down at Maia.

"What is the name, age, date of birth and address of the perpetrator?"

Maia attempted to swallow the lump in her throat, her mouth dry as she replied. "Um, my name is Maia Deva Eirian. I'm fifteen years old, born on the thirty-first of October in the year 2007. My current address is: Sunny Days care home, Galleyton Row, London". Tears were already welling up in Maia's eyes, her dislike for being in front of huge crowds by herself strengthened as she looked down at her lap, all the eyes in the room scalding her.

Hermione stepped up, and spoke "Witness for defence, Hermione Jean Weasley, Head of the Departments of Magical Law Enforcement. I have a case to propose about her absence from the register, and I do believe that takes precedence over her under-aged magic" Once done speaking, a seat appeared next to Maia, which Hermione sat down in.

The minister nodded, before looking back at Maia. "Please relay what happened on the second of August 2023." Maia did so, once again not leaving out any details, explaining in the exact same way she had done to Hermione.

Once done, she saw Hermione get up in her peripheral vision, and decided to sit back in her chair and let Hermione work her magic (figuratively, obviously). The woman spoke with an authority in her voice that reassured Maia, and after peeking up at the people in front of her, Maia knew that Hermione was someone respected by even the Minister of Magic.

"I've researched into Maia's background, and I've realised why she is not on the register. In December 2007, Maia's parents were murdered in their beds. With a little research, I've discovered that her parents were Darcy and Kian Eirian. Darcy Aislinn Eirian, maiden name Darcy Aislinn Berne was a young muggle-born witch who graduated from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in the year 2004, and Kian Breandan Eirian was a young pure-blood wizard who graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft as Wizardry in the year 2002. Both led a simple life, running a bakery in Ireland, with a branch in Hogsmead. They were killed by the Rebellion, as discovered by the insignia on the dagger used to kill Darcy, and their daughter was left unharmed in the next room. Maia is a witch who fell through our system, and so cannot be blamed."

Stunned, Maia stared at Hermione as she took a deep breath and sat back down, unable to believe her ears. Her parents were magic? She couldn't believe it at all.

The Minister looked up, and asked "but how could they have been killed by the Rebellion in 2007, if the Rebellion's _'Day of Re-birth'_, as they called it, did not occur until 2009?"

"We can only assume that this was an initiation test, as the killing was not done by magic. Many young students disappeared from many magical institutions, those who wanted to join arms against the new Ministry. A group such as the Rebellion must have taken years to form, so the death of Maia's parents was probably instigated by an under-aged witch or wizard who had to kill them, but could not to do so with magic due to the Trace" Hermione rebutted.

The minister nodded, before speaking again: "With this new information, I am obliged to point out that as Maia slipped through the Ministry's system, it is also not her fault that she could not control her powers at her age. She was not taught to do so. Now, with thought, all those who believe that Maia Deva Eirian is guilty of under-age magic and should be deemed as a suspicious character, raise your hands." Maia's heart pounded, the sound deafening, as she saw three people raise their hands. "All those who believe she is innocent, and all charges should be stricken from record raise your hands". The rest of the room raised their hands, over 30 witches and wizards, and Maia slumped in her chair with relief.

"Maia Deva Eirian, you have been deemed innocent by the Ministry of Magic Justice Court, and so your record shall be stricken. You will be admitted into a magical institution as you must be taught to control the magic you possess. This case is adjourned" He banged his gavel once more, and shuffling ensued around the room as everyone gathered to go.


	8. Chapter 7

Maia watched the wizards and witches file out of the court room, while she remained in her seat out of shock. Hermione had cleared the case so quickly, Maia had been expecting days of interrogation, seeing as she had been removed from her home and locked in a room for days on end.

Hermione walked over to her, and took the young girl's hands in her own, looking grave. "I'm so very sorry that you didn't get to know your parents Maia. They sounded like wonderful people, and I know from watching my friend just how hard it is living without family." Maia nodded, throat tight, unable to portray her thanks to the woman in front of her.

"What's going to happen now?" she asked Hermione, a tinge of fear in her voice.

"Well, you'll be enrolled in a magical institution, most probably Hogwarts as its British. The council may try to place you elsewhere due to lack of places, and as you are not living with family, however I'll do my very best to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm sure you would feel happier closer to your friends." Maia nodded again, feeling silly for her lack of voice, but the circumstances made it permissible.

Finally finding her legs, Maia got up and walked with Hermione out of the room. The Minister stood outside the door, and turned to face the impressionable witch that had gained Maia's respect.

"Weasley, dinner at your house still on then?" he asked. Maia's brow furrowed, but she made not comment.

"Yes Malfoy. Do try to turn up on time, and don't you dare bring another bouquet of Fanged Geranium , Ron was bitten 3 times the last time!" Hermione replied in a scolding voice, yet the smile on her face that caused her eyes to crinkle showed she wasn't angry at all. "I know Scorpius is coming. But will Astoria be joining us tonight?"

The minister nodded his affirmation. "Astoria hasn't got a shoot today, so she'll be able to join us for dinner. I expect to see your famous caramel tart Weasley, I don't come to these dinners just for fun." The minister chuckled before walking off, no doubt to do something important.

Hermione looked down at Maia, and grinned. "Never thought I'd be friends with a Malfoy, but surprising how things turn out eh?" Maia nodded, though she had no idea what Hermione was talking about; the young girl simply felt it would be easier to go along with what the witch was saying.

Maia saw the dragon fountain through an archway, so instinctively moved towards it, assuming that she would be heading home through the fireplace again. However, Hermione gently tugged her down a different route.

"Unfortunately, you're starting Hogwarts in your 5th year, the year where you complete your O.W.L.s" Hermione informed her. "So you've got quite a bit of catching up to do."

Maia felt somewhat disappointed that a world of magic and witches still had exams, but nodded nonetheless. But then something dawned on her.

"How exactly am I meant to catch up on five years of content in less than a month's time?" she asked Hermione in a bewildered tone. She could just imagine the humiliation she would feel if she either had to be in a year group with the 11 year olds just starting school, or if she was deemed as completely stupid for not knowing anything by the people in her own year group.

"It's not an often used method, not really liked, but I suppose we'll have to stretch your mind so that you can absorb information easier," Hermione answered. Maia threw her a shocked look, to which she quickly reassured "I mean figuratively. We'll use witchcraft to broaden your mind."

Maia let out a breath of relief.

"That's good. If we're gonna stretch anything literally, it'll be my height." The nervous girl's poor attempt at a joke wasn't missed by Hermione, who smiled good-humouredly at her.

"I think your height is sweet. Like a little pixie." At Maia's scrunched face, Hermione laughed, throwing her head back. Maia once again was struck by the beauty and elegance of the woman in front of her.

They stopped in front of a door with Maia giggling (in a completely un-Maia-like manner) at Hermione's story of when she had to help her friends put Cornish Pixies back in their cage because they're useless Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher couldn't do it. Hermione rapped her knuckles against the wooden door, and the walked in prompted by an "Enter", followed by Maia.

Inside was a library of grandeur. Maia's eyes popped out of her skull as she stared around at the vast shelves of thick leather-bound books. Sunlight streamed in through a skylight, various window seats by the windows of the large walls. Where this ministry was, Maia was unsure, because the entire place seemed to be huge – too huge not to be noticed by normal people.

A white haired old lady, with a kind look on her face, stood behind a desk that was placed just left of the door. "Mrs Weasley, what can I do for you today?" she asked.

"Hello Muriel. We just need to decided which books young Maia will have to study over the summer, thank you. But first…" Hermione stalked over to a shelf, finding the book she needed straight away it seemed and mumbling to herself, seeming very comfortable in the large library. Maia figured the woman liked to spend much time in this room that smelt of paper and lavender.

Maia was snapped out of her thoughts as Hermione snapped the book shut. Walking over to Maia, she pulled the young girl to a red leather sofa, and sat her down. Hermione loomed over Maia and took out a stick, which Maia figured was her wand.

"Now, this might sting a little. Try to stay still."

Maia gulped, trepidation flooding her body.

"_Animo tractum" _Hermione stated, tapping Mai once on her forehead, and twice on the crown of her head with the tip of her want. Maia then proceeded to feel something akin to a minor migraine, and wrinkled her face in discomfort. However, the pain receded after a few seconds. Maia didn't feel different at all.

"Now, the spell's in place. Every day, you will be escorted back and forth between your home and the ministry. If all goes well, you will be able to retain all the information you study over the course of the summer. I do hope you'll work hard" Hermione stretched her arms a little, and then escorted Maia to a round table near a window.

"This will be where you will sit each day. We'll make sure this area is left untouched so you may leave the books and notes you make here, ready to continue the next day". Maia sat down as Hermione wandered away.

Staring out of the window, Maia felt excitement, wondering what exactly this new world would have in store for her. She was basically living every fan-girls dream, and she was going to make the most of it; she was going to study till her brains fell out of her ears.

Hermione placed a stack of books in front of Maia, along with a notebook and bird feather.

"You'll have to try and get used to writing with a quill and ink-well" Hermione informed, showing Maia the little pot of ink.

Maia examined the spines of the books in front of her.

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by _Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic _by _Hannah Abbot _

_Magical Theory _by _Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration _by _Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand and One Magical Herbs and Fungi _by _Neville Longbottom_

_Magical Drafts and Potions _by _Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by _Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by _Quentin Trimble_

"Those are the books the first years study. If you manage to get through two of those books by the 5 o'clock, you can come to my house for dinner today" Hermione winked at Maia, pointing to the clock strategically placed above the window, which read 10:13am. "Do try to, it'd be good for you to be introduced to the kids. They go to Hogwarts, and can prepare you somewhat."

Maia picked _The Standard Book of Spells _up, dipped her quill in ink, and began studying; she realised that this would be her summer for the year.


	9. Chapter 8

Maia's head throbbed with all the information she had crammed into it. The afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the window to her right, enveloping her table in a spot of warmth – when Maia looked up to the clock, it took a second for her eyes to adjust to the darkness that wasn't her brightly lit white paper.

She had successfully managed to cram not just 2, but 3 of the books information into her head, and it was only 4:38pm. _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), A History of Magic, _and _Magical Theory _were placed in a separate pile, the notes for the books exceptionally concise yet still taking up 2 and a half notebooks. Maia was amazed at the wonders of magic; she'd always been somewhat good at studying, being a naturally curious person who liked to just _know _things, yet she would never have been able to learn what she had under normal circumstances.

The door to the library creaked open, grasping Maia's attention, so she turned her head to the left to see Hermione walk in. "How's the studying been going?" she asked, sitting on a conveniently placed bench across from Maia that the young girl had failed to notice.

As an answer, Maia showed Hermione the notes and rattled off some of the information she had learnt. Then the young, new-discovered witch asked Hermione the question that had been trying on her mind since she had begun studying the world of magic earlier that day.

"Hermione, am I going to get to practice the spells and stuff I learn? Because it seems to me that theory can only take me so far…" she cocked her head, her tone questioning, but not demanding.

Hermione grinned. "I'm happy you picked up on that. Tomorrow, someone will take you to Diagon Alley so you can purchase what you may need. Just the necessities mind you, a wand and cauldron. Pets and ingredients and other stuff can wait until we get closer to September".

Maia felt a spark of excitement. Her own wand!

Hermione continued. "The trip to Diagon Alley shouldn't take too long. So tomorrow, after you return, you can practice some spells. You can just alternate between days. Study one day, practice what you studied on the next day, and then back to studying." Hermione got up, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, and gestured for Maia to follow her.

Maia did so, stretching like a cat as she had only given herself 5 minute breaks every 40 minutes throughout the day, and her muscles were complaining from the disuse.

Hermione's heels clicking against the marble floor, they left the library speedily, after a quick farewell to Muriel who had remained at the desk for the whole day. The passed through an archway or two and found themselves back at the stone dragon fountain. Walking over to the huge fireplaces, Hermione turned to Maia.

"You've done amazingly well, as I knew you would. I sense that you're a lot like me when it comes to learning new things." Hermione patted Maia on the shoulder. "And so I would be delighted if you would accept an invitation to dinner at my house. My husband already knows, there's already a place set for you, and if you're worried about your friends at home, the _Confundus _charm is still in effect. They all think that you have won a residential to Cumbria for the past few days."

Oh, so that's what her story would be. Maia's head whirred as she formulated all the questions she may be asked, and how she would counter any accusations she was attacked with. She'd have liked to have told her friends about everything, they _never _kept secrets from each other, but it seemed to be against wizarding law.

"So, what do you say? Fancy dinner with some old-timers and some attitude-filled teenagers?" Hermione laughed.

"Hey! I'm an attitude-filled teenager too!" Maia joked. "But yes, I'd love to come to dinner."

Smiling, Hermione led her to an open fireplace, grabbing some of the powder hanging by the side in a little pot, and threw it down at their feet. They were immediately engulfed by green flames that tickled and felt cool against Maia's skin.

"The Burrow" Hermione whispered (which Maia thought was smart – not a good idea to shout out address'). With a twirl of their bodies, Maia found herself staring out of a different fireplace at a man with red hair.

"Welcome back 'Mione" the man said, hugging Hermione tightly. They kissed each other chastely, giving away their marital status to Maia.

Maia stepped out of the fireplace and gazed in wonder around her. She appeared to be in an oddly shaped tower. One that had been formed by stacking different houses on top of each other is what it seemed like. There was some brick and material that seemed to have been salvaged from a fire, and other material that looked shiny new. The colours were exotic and beautiful. Maia had thought the ministry would be the most interesting building she would step in, but this house beat it by a mile.

Still with his arm around Hermione, the red haired man stepped towards Maia with his hand out. She grasped it and murmured shyly "Hello. My name's Maia. Ummm… you have a lovely home." She ended with a genuine smile so they could see that she was being honest.

The man smiled at Maia warmly. "Hello Maia, I'm Ron." At this, Maia's eyes widened as she realised that two of the Golden Trio had gotten married (a tiny part of her squealed inside at how cute that was). He laughed boisterously. "I see you recognise my name. Thank you for the compliment, we refurbished my old family home after the war. Come, sit down. Dinner's almost ready." He led her away from the fireplace, a firm hand on her back, Hermione walking on her left.

As they walked, Ron filled his wife in. "Harry, Ginny and their kids are already here, Malfoy as well. Luna should be arriving any minute, Bill's here too. Charlie couldn't get off from work, and Percy's stuck in New Zealand with his family." They were just walking past a staircase, when a chime rang through the house. "Ah, that must be Luna now."

He walked over to a well camouflaged door, and opened it. Standing there were two freckly red-haired men, identical in features. One had his arm around a beautiful Caribbean woman, with a girl and boy who were obviously their children standing next to them. The other had his arm around a beautiful Asian woman, who had a little girl on her hip.

"Oh, it's you two" Ron laughed. "Come on in then!"

They all walked in to the house, rubbing their feet off on the welcome mat, and hugging Ron and Hermione by way of greeting. Maia observed as 'Angelina' complained about how little sleep she got because of Fred's snoring, how 'Yuki' tried to soothe her with a lilting French accent but kept laughing at her friends antics, how the two twins (named Fred and George as Ron's bellowing showed) bullied Ron in a typical older brother fashion with some weird contraption that would be found in a joke shop, and how the children ran off into the maze like tower.

It was such a homely feeling; Maia's eyes welled up a little as a subconscious reaction. She'd never been part of anything like this.

After the greetings had been done, a new family joining in near the end (Maia assumed this was Luna's family), they all made their way to a room in the house. There, Maia was astonished to find the biggest round table she had seen in her life. It fit all the people who had visited on it, and highlighted also just how big the room was.

Hermione led her to a seat so she was sat between a blonde boy who looked to be a couple years older than her, and Hermione herself. They all took their seats, and Hermione cleared her throat loudly, causing the babble of chatter to quieten down.

"Everyone, this is Maia. She's starting Hogwarts this year, and she is an exceptional young lady so she will also probably be joining more dinners." Maia's face burned, and she peaked up through her eyelashes only to look back down at her hands again, clasping the clammy things in her lap; they were all _staring _at her. "I want everyone to introduce themselves. I'll start, and we'll just go around the table".

The company introduced themselves, and thanks to the mind-stretch spell, Maia quite easily remembered all the names: Hermione, Luna, Yuki, Fleur, Angelina, Ginny, Astoria, Bill, Fred, George, Harry, Draco, Rolf, Lorcan, Lysander, James, Teddy, Victoire, Rose, Aiko, Lily, Albus, Hugo, Roxanne, Dominique, Louis, Dean, Albus, and Scorpius. Maia shyly introduced herself, seeing the teenagers scrutinising her.

Hermione then clapped her hands, and food appeared in front of them as if by, well… magic. Maia assumed it was the same spell that Hogwarts used at great feasts, as Ron had made it clear that they had cooked the food themselves.

Maia dug into the food, keeping quiet as the chatter reissued around her.

Once dinner was done, the younger children ran through a door to what led to a large field, starting up a game of tag. The adults moved to a room to talk about adult things, and the teens all went up to a room on the first floor, Maia following after a prompting from Lorcan.

Once up there, the questioning began. "So… how old are you and what year are you going to be starting at?" asked James in a light and cheerful voice.

"I'm 15 right now, and I'll be starting fifth year at Hogwarts," Maia mumbled, her own voice squeaky with nerves. This led to them letting her know what years they were in. It seemed that Teddy and Victoire were just out of Hogwarts; James, Roxanne, Louis and Dean were to be in their seventh year; Lorcan, Lysander, Scorpius, Albus, and Rose were to be in their sixth year; Dominique was also starting fifth year; and Lily and Hugo were starting fourth year.

The group began to fill Maia in on the need-to-know information about Hogwarts – that Slugworth would try to collect her if she was really smart, that McGonagall showed no mercy when it came to academics, that Longbottom was a family friend so tended to be nicer, that some ghosts were peskier than others etc.

All the while however, Maia was conscious of the silence of a few in the room (i.e. James, Scorpius and Dominique), and their scalding stares that seemed to burn her face. Of course, her consciousness of this led to her face burning, the blush staining her pale cheeks with a pink hue.


	10. Chapter 9

The door creaked open, interrupting James as he relayed a particularly funny prank he had pulled on Slughorn with the aid of Fred and George's inventions, with Hermione popping her head into the room.

"Maia, I'll drop you off now," she offered, so Maia got up from her cross-legged position on the carpeted floor.

Her face burned as they bid their farewells, thinking she heard Dominique say _'good riddance' _amongst all the _'goodbye'_s. Maia wasn't sure why, but she thought that Dominique showed her a weird amount of animosity, which made no sense as she hadn't done anything to offend the girl… at least she didn't think she had. James and Scorpius had also been paying particular attention to her, making her uncomfortable, as she couldn't tell _why _they were staring.

Maia was half-way down the stairs when she realised she had left her jacket in the room. Hopping back up to the room, she lifted her hand to knock but stopped when she heard a female voice speak out: "I don't know why an _outsider _was invited to family dinner," making Maia's face blaze even hotter than before. Hermione was downstairs, preoccupied with saying something to Ron before they left, but Maia hesitated in rushing back down. She wanted to know what they thought about her. Dominique had already sparked the conversation, so Maia felt she should be allowed to hear the replies.

"She seems nice enough," a deeper voice replied, Albus is what Maia thought. Hope bloomed, with the young witch wishing that the rest felt the same.

"Anyway, I'm technically an outsider too." This was an even deeper, gravelly voice - one that she recognised as Scorpius. "Doesn't that mean I shouldn't come either," the sneer prominent in his voice made Maia almost flinch, and it wasn't even aimed at her. This question seemed to be followed by a tense and awkward silence, before Dominique finally replied.

"Well, no. We all like you. You guys are family friends, plus you're one of James' best friends and _my _boyfriend, so _you _can feel welcome here. _She _has no connection to anyone!"

Maia blinked back the tears she felt brimming in her eyes, taking a deep breath and putting on a cool mask. This girl had no right to judge her, and Maia wouldn't let a prissy little girl hurt her feelings. She raised her fist, and rapped the door sharply.

Without waiting for a reply, she pushed open the door, and walked in. "Sorry, I forgot my jacket in here." Walking over to the bed where it had been thrown on, she picked it up and surveyed the people in the room. They all seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she had heard the previous conversation; except for one.

James looked at her with curiosity, and suspicion. He probably realised that her eyes were a tad bit too glassy, and the smile that she shot at him was a tad bit too forced. Shrugging to herself (and no doubt looking freaky from the random movement), she walked back out of the room with a "it was nice to meet you all."

She bounded down the stairs and stopped in front of Hermione, who had donned a light denim jacket of her own. Hermione held out her forearm, which Maia held on to. She realised they were about to apparate to the care home, and held her breath, remembering the puking she did after her first experience.

With a squeeze, Maia stumbled on her feet, Sunny Days care home in front of her eyes. This time, she managed to keep the contents of her stomach in place, and not all over the floor or flower-beds.

Hermione manoeuvred Maia by the shoulders so the young girl was facing her, and gave her a brief hug. "Tomorrow, you'll be picked up at 10:00am by a wizard who will take you to buy any equipment you need. I won't see you as frequently as I've been assigned to another case, but I will drop by the library a few times, and of course you'll be coming to dinner a few more times before the summer's over!"

Maia gave the woman in front of her a close-eyed smile, and then walked to the front door of the care home. Pressing the doorbell, she waited for it to open, and was met by Pete the Prick.

"Maia, I see you're back. Couldn't stay with your aunt huh?" he asked with a scowl.

_Wouldn't you just love that _Maia thought sourly. He would be stuck with Maia until she turned 16 and could move out to her own flat, supporting herself. Maia didn't know how she would be able to survive on her own, how she would make money for herself, but she would rather live by herself in a run-down flat than have to stay under a roof managed by Pete the Prick.

Pushing past him, she stalked up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her. This place always pulled her mood down, and she actually couldn't wait for the school term to start, since she'd be living in Hogwarts dorms.

Eye's widening, she remembered that she had to meet up with her friends. Maia pulled out the phone she had been given as a birthday present by all her friends, and connected to the care home Wi-Fi. Going on the group chat she shared with all her friends (funnily named _High-Functioning Sociopaths_ in honour of a certain Mr Holmes), she typed in 'meadow' and pressed send.

Only after did she remember the shadow-man she had seen in the meadow, but she hadn't seen him in the past week, when before his presence was always there. Since finding out she was a witch she felt safer, like she could defend herself better. Stupid bravado since Maia was aware that she knew very little about magic, but knowing that she had a weapon that could be honed made her feel infinitely happier.

She made her way to the meadow, after an interrogation from the Prick as to where she was going, to find her friends already seated next to their favourite oak tree. Surprise hit her; she had thought they might not come due to how she had left them, but she guessed that the Ministry had made them forget. She sat down on the dry grass and looked at her friends, who were all staring at her curiously.

"I was with a long-lost Aunt for the past week," Maia blurted, trying to squash the rising guilt. She never _ever _lied to her friends, and it made her feel sick to know she was lying now. However, the Ministry had made it clear that magic in front of muggles was prohibited, so she had to.

She was wrong though.

Ali spoke up. "Maia, that's bull and you know it. Tell us what really happened!" Stunned, Maia leaned away from him instinctively. Why would he be angry about her excuse?

Anger in his voice, he informed her "we remember you know. The 'man' you saw, the plate, the freaks collecting you and you _freezing _us!" Maia's eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She had thought the Ministry would stop her friends from knowing about her predicament, but if they already remembered her performing magic, then Maia figured she could tell the truth.

"Alright." She sighed, and repeated, "alright. I'll tell you… but _no _interrupting me while I say it!" She began to repeat to her friends what had happened over the past week, leaving nothing out, right up until Hermione had left her at the care home. A few times, her friends opened their mouths to question or protest, but she held her hand up to stop them, continuing until she had finished her story.

Once done, they were silent for all of 10 seconds before they all burst out with questions, excitement animating their faces.

Laughing, Maia answered their questions with renewed vigour, before Maryam asked the question she had hoped they wouldn't think of.

"Wait, so you're going to a boarding school?! We're not going to see you in school anymore?!" she half asked, half shouted. Tears welled up in Maia's eyes; one thing she wasn't looking forward to was leaving her friends.

The next morning, rain pattered against Maia's window pane, so she dressed in a blue adidas hoodie and black skinny jeans. She was still feeling melancholic from the night before. She and her friends had reminisced over their adventures and misdemeanours at school, laughing till their stomachs hurt, yet always aware as to why they were being so sappy.

Padding downstairs, she munched on a piece of honeyed toast, and gulped down a glass of milk. At 10:00am promptly, there was a knock on the door.

Grabbing her yellow umbrella from the stand, she opened the front door and greeted the visitor. Standing under a regulation black umbrella was a tall male, over six feet, with black hair and brown eyes. Tanned skin, and a long black trench coat, unbuttoned to show the shirt and suit trousers he wore underneath. Maia thought he was about 25 years of age.

"Nice to meet you Maia, I'm Ben." She shook his hand and mumbled her greeting, stepping out of the house and closing the door behind her. They stepped out onto the road, an uncomfortable silence between them.

Taking out his wand, Ben held it out on the empty road. Maia jumped as she heard a loud bang, and a triple-decker bus appeared around the corner of her road and screeched to a stop in front of them. Shock was plastered on her face, making Ben chuckle at her, and the both boarded the bus.

Taking two tickets out of his pocket and having them stamped, the two moved to the back of the bus, making small talk about Ben's job. He worked at Hogwarts under the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Hagrid.

They stopped in front of a pub called the Leaky Cauldron, and walked in only to walk back out of the back door. Stopping in front of a brick wall, Ben tapped the bricks in a pattern with his wand, causing them to move to form a doorway.

Through the opening, Maia saw the coolest street in the history of all places in London: cobbled road, wonky buildings, tons of animals, and a bunch of robed wizards and witches. Maia had never seen anything that could compare in her life.

"First stop: Gringotts!" Ben exclaimed, faux-marching down the street, causing Maia to laugh. They walked to a very town-hallish looking building in Maia's opinion, except for the fact that the building was curved.

Walking in, Maia took notice of the silver engravings on the doors:

_Enter stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

Maia felt as if she had been drenched with cold water, shivering, and looking to Ben for explanation, but he seemed not to have noticed anything. The two walked up to a desk, Ben producing a key from his pockets, and the goblin behind the desk instructed another to guide Maia and Ben to Maia's vault.

As they went along the underground track, Maia felt uneasy. The general ambience of the bank, along with the cold stares of the goblin in the cart made her feel uncomfortable. It was probably because it was the first time she was seeing a non-human sentient being. Maia knew that she would have to get used to this, and she couldn't let her muggle upbringing influence her views of the wizarding world too much, or she would be isolated.

When they reached her vault, Vault 314 to be precise, the goblin opened it and Ben handed Maia a black coloured velvet draw-string bag. Inside the vault were piles of gold, silver and bronze coins, more than Maia had ever owned in her life.

"As your parents owned two popular stores, they left a considerable sum to you. Spend wisely" Ben informed her. Maia nodded, and filled the bag with the coins he advised her too.

Once the goblin had re-locked the vault, he handed Maia the key, and she strung it to her charm-bracelet. Luckily, the key was small and of a silver colour, and so blended perfectly with the charms on her bracelet. With its small size, no one would be able to differentiate the key from another charm.

Once the made it back up to the street (on which a street-sign named it _Diagon Alley_), they walked to Ollivanders wand shop.

Maia walked in, and spotted a grey haired wizard, of a _very _old age. He looked up on her entrance and smiled, immediately looking through a bunch of oblong boxes which contained various wands. Maia tested about 4 before he handed her another one.

"This is a nine and three-quarters redwood wand, core of Unicorn hair and apple, quite bendy. I think this could be the one". He handed the wand to Maia.

She was enveloped by a warm feeling, and swished the wand in an arc over her head. Rainbow light streamed out, bouncing off the reflective surfaces in the shop, and lit up Maia's giddy face. _Now _she felt like a real witch.


End file.
